Read Online Lone Star Lover by Debbi Rawlins - Free Book Online

thoughts, holding out a steaming bowl cradled in a white cloth. “It’s chicken broth.”
    She had beautiful eyes, the greenish-blue a color he’d only seen in the Caribbean ocean where he’d learned to dive three years ago. And her lips, perfectly bow-shaped, plump and pink…Man, he so didn’t want Rebecca to be a hallucination.
    Her brows drew together in a delicate frown. “If you hold this, I’ll bring the stool to set the bowl on.”
    “What? Oh, sorry.” He took the bowl from her, the aroma from the broth drifting up to his nose, and making his stomach growl loudly.
    Rebecca turned away, but not before he saw her smile. “Kitty brought me biscuits for breakfast. If you think your belly will take it, you can dunk them in the broth.” She set the stool in front of him, and then brought him a small cloth-wrapped bundle.
    Her gaze lowered to his chest, and she quickly looked away. He’d forgotten he wasn’t wearing a shirt, though there wasn’t much he could do about it.
    “I assume there’s a store in town.” He picked up the spoon, suddenly famished. “Where I can buy a new shirt?”
    She blinked. “I don’t expect the general store sells readymade shirts.”
    He spooned some broth into his mouth, surprised at how tasty it was, and did everything he could not to pick up the bowl and slurp down the whole thing in one gulp. She unwrapped the cloth napkin for him and offered the two biscuits. He eagerly took one, not caring that it was as hard as a rock, and dunked it into the broth. It softened some, but he was too impatient to wait and bit into the firm little puck.
    “Don’t eat too fast,” Rebecca cautioned with a gentle hand on his arm. “You need to keep the food down.”
    He nodded, his gaze lingering on her tiny wrist and hand. As fragile as she seemed, her hands were working hands, with small nicks and faded scars on the backs of her knuckles. Made him wonder about the scar he’d seen on her wrist, concealed now by her cuff.
    She quickly withdrew, hiding her hands in the folds of her skirt. “Kitty should be back soon,” she said unnecessarily, and then moistened her lips. “She’ll take you to the saloon.”
    “Why?” He set down the spoon.
    “There’s no room here.”
    “No, I mean, why Kitty? Why not you?”
    Rebecca’s gaze went to the window, fear haunting her face. “I have to stay with Mr. Otis.”
    “Do you know him?”
    She glanced over her shoulder at the unconscious man lying in the corner, and shook her head.
    “Kitty knows him. Let her stay.” He was being totally selfish, he knew, but he didn’t want to leave Rebecca. He didn’t want her to leave him.
    She wrung her hands together, her gaze nervously darting around the room. “You’ll have to wear your stained shirt for now but it’s clean. I can make you another one. If Kitty will get me some fabric, I’ll start this afternoon.”
    “Rebecca.” He set the bowl down on the stool, half the biscuit still floating in the broth. “What’s wrong?” He started to reach for her but she looked so distraught, he stopped himself. The last thing he wanted to do was spook her. “Did I say something wrong?”
    She visibly swallowed. “No. I don’t like going to the saloon.” She stared down at the bowl. “You have to eat. Get strong. Leave this town as fast as you can.”
    The quiet desperation in her voice really got to him. “Why?”
    She bit her lip. “Kitty says I talk too much.”
    He smiled. “Right.”
    Distrust lurked in the depths of her eyes, but damned if he knew how he earned that. “You smiled,” she said softly, and he realized it wasn’t distrust but surprise.
    “I did.”
    “I like your smile. It’s nice.” She was an interesting contradiction. Strong as steel one minute, and childlike the next.
    “How old are you?”
    “Twenty-four.”
    Pretty young, although he’d guessed younger. Maybe because she was so tiny. “You have family here?”
    “No.” Abruptly she turned away and